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This research investigates and documents changes in the Great Barrier Reef and its associated habitats and species, particularly since European settlement in the adjacent coastal lands since 1860. The research documents a variety of human activities and their impacts on the coastal and marine environment; those activities and impacts include coral mining, coral collecting, shell collecting, various forms of fishing, guano and rock phosphate mining, the introduction and spread of exotic species, the transformation of island ecosystems, and the development and spread of tourism. The research also derives implications for the management of the Great Barrier Reef, its adjacent coastal and marine areas, and its associated species and habitats.